Hideaki Anno has confirmed that Gainax is officially dead after 42 years.
  • 1101 points ColdDocument6856

    I saw this post and honestly thought it said;

    "Hideaki Anno has confirmed that he has officially been dead for the last 42 years."

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    321 points Volvakia

    Very on-brand with him, honestly

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    148 points kissinterlude_99

    death and rebirth

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    67 points eightbyeight

    You can (not) be reborn

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    32 points Choi_Boy3

    Death (true)2

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    14 points DirectionNo9650

    THE END OF

    ANNO

    ONE LAST TIME: Is this still going on?

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    5 points Nikoras4u

    Tamashii no refrain...

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    26 points evilprozac79

    "It all comes tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling dooooowwwwnnnn...."

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    19 points AlucardTheVampire69

    Common hideaki anno W fr

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    -2 points stopgono

    Is hideaki a pdfile?

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    7 points Content_Trifle_6547

    Why would you think that

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    4 points Klaha_Algora

    Dead inside maybe

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    2 points ComfortableRespond77

    Anno initiated third impact for gainax

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  • 572 points TheEmeraldMaster1234

    This truly is the End of Evangelion

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    12 points Altruistic-Dress-968

    Say that again?

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    11 points Eeve2espeon

    YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH *epic guitar sounds*

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    4 points TarsierBoy

    this must be the mezami na toki they mention at the end of the theme song

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    13 points Alain-Christian

    👻ooooooooo!!

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  • 99 points FringedYeti56

    I read that headline a little too fast

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    45 points Sarahthelizard

    I was mildly impressed at him being 42 and then remembered he's been working since the 80's lol

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  • 208 points Zoeeeeeeh123

    And literally the same day I finished watching the entire Evangelion series. What a coincidence

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    110 points Alain-Christian

    It all keeps tumbling down.

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    30 points chastis

    tumbling down

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    23 points CobaltCrusader123

    tumbling dooooowwwwn

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    12 points justsofie

    It all returns to nothing

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    7 points daniel_iscool123

    I just keep letting me down

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    4 points FlarelesTF2

    letting me down

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    6 points daniel_iscool123

    Letting me downnnnnn

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    3 points FlarelesTF2

    in my heart of hearts

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    4 points daniel_iscool123

    I know that I could never love again

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    4 points Super3vil

    It's your fault! If you hadn't finished the series none of this would've happened!!!!

    /s

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    3 points infamousdiscovery97

    i legit started a rewatch on it last night too :(

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    1 points Currentlybaconing

    Girl same!!! It’s a simulation

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  • 193 points ApprehensivePear5060

    Well it sucks to see an anime studio shut down but gainax had it coming for a while now, after neon Genesis it just seemed like they tried to copy the story to mixed results. Also the fact of how they treated their staff didn't help them and no one really watched their newer works.

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    119 points WarMinister23

    It barely existed after Trigger and Khara formed 

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    13 points Alain-Christian

    Exactly this. ☝🏾

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    1 points 567JT765

    Yamaga and Sadamoto were still there. But with the establishment of Fukushima Gainax (now "Gaina) who seemingly took up the anime production capabilities from Gainax, it was over for Gainax.

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    23 points jerryb2161

    Yeah they were one of my favorites back in the day, but I hadn't seen realized I have not seen a show by them since FLCL

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    4 points Eeve2espeon

    More accurately, their other stuff was just crap. They peaked with Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the rebuilds popularity sorta proved that

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    3 points ApprehensivePear5060

    At the end of the day I'm kinda happy to see them close their doors, it just seems like they couldn't hold onto the legacy anymore and needed to finally let go.

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  • 40 points Own_Internal7509

    I’m surprised it wasn’t dead before lol

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  • 33 points getto-da-ze

    The GAiNAX name and legacy deserved way better than the shitshow it became. It really is regrettable.

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  • 184 points EntireAssociation592

    On the bright side, maybe someone will buy them and we’ll get new content

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    379 points The-Great-Memelord

    The rights for their shows already went back to their original creators when they went bankrupt, now the company literally no longer exists.

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    115 points ZestycloseRound6843

    I thought the ownership of the original NGE ended up with Khara anyway?

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    60 points svenge

    It did back in 2014-15. This current post is about Anno's stated desire to make sure that the other Gainax-related properties that he wasn't directly involved in ended up in the hands of appropriate stakeholders after discovering how badly management had been handling things towards the end.

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    1 points 567JT765

    This current post is about Anno's stated desire to make sure that the other Gainax-related properties that he wasn't directly involved in ended up in the hands of appropriate stakeholders after discovering how badly management had been handling things towards the end.

    But that already happened. With the exception of like FLCL, which got sold to Production I.G. a decade or so ago. All modern Gurren Lagann releases have listed Trigger/Imaishi instead of Gainax.

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    127 points anglovoid

    nah probably not, if you want more stuff like Gainax, Studio Trigger is right there, they‘re pretty much a spiritual successor to Gainax so maybe you should check out their works

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    69 points UltiMikee

    Between Trigger and khara the spirit of the old Gainax lives on

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    10 points ZoddImmortal

    Who owns FLCL and Appleseed now?

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    21 points anglovoid

    For FLCL, Production I.G. But for Appleseed, I have no idea, judging by their history; they probably didn’t had the rights to it anyway 😂

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    1 points clumsydope

    What happen to Hanamaru Kindergarten and Medaka box then

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    1 points anglovoid

    beats me, maybe go and search it up and find some information about it

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    3 points D9Dagger

    But what if there are materials for a sequel. Let's say there won't be EVAs anymore but a new existential post apocalyptic threat emerges and new 14 year olds are needed because the technology behind synch ratio is retained, revitalized and progressed?

    If I can inspire H Anno and convince Khara to sustain the remaining and generate emerging characters, it won't be an eff up like SW when Disney took over.

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    9 points Pataconeitor

    How about a story set on another planet where the black/white moon brouhaha is reversed, and the peaceful Angels living there have to defend themselves from evil human invaders.

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    11 points One-Department1551

    Khara holds NGE rights.

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    1 points D9Dagger

    i know.

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    1 points Own_Argument89

    I would just like to see 3 things, a long old school anime weekly episodes, the manga animated. Like the fate series did, a slice of life Evangelion and a think like Evangelion Godzilla. Thats it, would be very happy.

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    47 points Siophecles

    I believe most of Gainax's IPs have already been transferred to other companies (as per the first image), Khara already owns all of Eva now. Besides, would some third party buying the rights and making content for content's sake really something to celebrate?

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    8 points Skylair13

    Studio Khara (Evangelion) and Trigger (TTGL and Panty Stocking) already took them by now I think.

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    11 points bobbagum

    Releasing gunbuster again would be good

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    11 points UltiMikee

    Gunbuster was just rereleased by Discotek Media on Blu-ray last year. They do a good job with their releases and would recommend it.

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    1 points svenge

    It also received a low-cost "Standard Edition" Blu-ray rerelease in Japan via Bandai Visual back in 2023.

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    6 points Broad-Stick7300

    Don’t worry, Netflix will have the rights in no time. 😢🤮

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    3 points anglovoid

    Ohh yeah that WB and Netflix thing?

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    1 points D9Dagger

    I think, they didn't do justice to the old and new audience. Seriously, if it wasn't for Paramount the franchise would have been a complete travesty.

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    2 points AliveGREENFOX

    Finally Evangelion Kart

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    1 points FullMetalBiscuit

    We already got New Panty and Stocking

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    1 points Massive-Vanilla-2774

    Enter Disney.

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    1 points 567JT765

    That already happened years ago.

    The FLCL projects happened, and so did the new Panty & Stocking. Trigger also got the rights for Gurren Lagann.

    The Eva rights were already at khara for a long time.

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  • 17 points Zebrasdont

     気持ち悪い…

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  • 13 points Remarkable-Test-1956

    we need a Rebuild of Gainax

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    4 points Kuramhan

    So Trigger and Khara?

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  • 12 points Sir_Lanian

    Daicon, 5? /s

    At the very least remaster 3 and 4.

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    8 points svenge

    Daicon 5?

    Haruko already used that joke in FLCL.

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    2 points Sir_Lanian

    Yeah I know. That's why I wrote it the same way Haruko does

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    1 points Technical-Debate-330

    We'll never get Daicon 6 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

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  • 8 points domesystem

    Please tell me Trigger or Khara got the Gunbuster rights and 3 is still happening.

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    11 points OZKai

    Pretty sure GunBuster has always been property of Bandai (As well as Wings of Honneamise), as Gainax was commissioned by them for the work, similar to how Nadia is property of NHK.

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    2 points EvaGoji

    Benten Film holds the rights to Gunbuster.

    https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2025-08-01/anime-studio-gaina-changes-name-to-benten-film-after-being-acquired-by-ai-animation-company-creator-/.227270

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  • 6 points Choi_Boy3

    So, TLDR

    Death(true)2

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  • 12 points RunKittyRun22

    What does it mean for evangelion franchise ?

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    52 points ProfessionalSnow943

    literally nothing, don’t fret

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    42 points Cassandra_Canmore2

    Absolutely nothing. As Anno has Studio Khara.

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    38 points Ordinal43NotFound

    Adding to the other comments, Eva is already fully owned by Anno's own Studio Khara since 2014 after a lengthy legal battle.

    Gurren Lagann and Panty and Stocking IP ownership has also been transferred to studio Trigger in 2021.

    The soul of Gainax now lives in Khara and Trigger since most of the staff went to these 2 studios.

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    2 points Technical-Debate-330

    Love the new season of Panty and Stocking. Still fucked up as usual.

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    9 points Own_Internal7509

    It was practically dead for more than 10 years, it’s miracle that it wasn’t “officially” dead

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  • 6 points lyricaldanichan

    After seeing the FLCL sequels, wish that it would go back to Trigger. So disappointed about Mr. Yamaga involvement. RIP

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  • 19 points ProfessionalSnow943

    fucking finally, calling them a shambling undead husk would be giving them too much credit. why on earth did it take this long

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    14 points Namuru09

    Japanese bureaucracy

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    5 points Robjec

    Untangling legal rights and selling off IP. The studio has been dead for years, they just wanted to make sure no IP was stuck in legal limbo. 

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  • 15 points fygogogo

    It says at the end that Hideaki is the director of Color Co.? Is that a new company of his?

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    43 points Ordinal43NotFound

    Mistranslation of "Khara".

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    12 points Tmlboost

    It’s supposed to be “Khara Co.” (which is Anno’s studio), but Google often mistranslates it to “Color Co.”

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  • 4 points _Neo_____

    For a second I thought Anno died.

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  • 5 points AgeofFatso

    Looks like there was an orderly transfer of IP.

    Corporate and business ethics and practices in Japan make it generally hard or unusual to corporate raid or sell out your company. Things like the drama around WB, or George Lucas selling out his assets to Disney are relatively less common. It took decades before Sunrise throughly become part Bandai. The handling of Gainax IP has full hallmarks of similar practices and planning. I mean they do exist sometime look at how Konami vs Kojima dramas, but such things are generally uncommon, at least not go fully naked in front of public. Transactions, infighting, sorting out assets and creditors, and differences tend to get resolved privately and under the table.

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    2 points Sunset_42

    There was an orderly transfer of IP thanks to the efforts of many people despite a large amount of mismanagement from former upper management of the company that threatened it.

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    1 points Robjec

    I don't think you are comparing like for like there. George Lucas is rare anywhere, since it is rare for an individual creator to hold such a large IP. And WB would be compared to monopoly issues with Sony or kodansha. 

    Gainax was a smaller studio with a couple of hits. Their US equivalent would be something like Titmouse or Spumko. Even something like Nickelodeon animations would be a more axcurate comparison then WB. 

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  • 5 points Glittering_Town_9071

    i lowk only remember gainax as the logo that appears when you boot up the ps2 captain tsubasa game

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  • 5 points El_Grande_XL

    Yea, I mean... I thought gainax dissolved years ago, like 2008 and Studio Khara was the successor.

    Interested it was still alive.

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  • 4 points DTGee64

    This is like the third time Gainax has been "officially dead".

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  • 3 points darkamyy

    Damn, so Zero Century Emeraldas definitely definitely isn't happening now

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  • 3 points Namuru09

    So, they did a live action adaptation of Otaku No video

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  • 2 points ASAP_Flex

    I can confirm as rel hideako anno

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  • 2 points Flat_Lingonberry_625

    Ok, does this mean we can make any type of merch without worrying about copyright? (Honest question...)

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    12 points Somedays1970

    No, the IPs still belong to someone, like Evangelion to Khara, they weren't released into the public domain.

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    3 points Tmlboost

    To piggyback off the other comment - when the official closure of Gainax was announced at the beginning of the year, it was reported that Anno and other alumni were working to make sure the rights to whatever Gainax had left were returned to their respective owners. Mind you though, the rights to all of their most popular shows (Eva, FLCL, Gurren Lagann, Panty and Stocking, etc) had either been returned to their respective owners long ago or were co-owned by other studios

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    1 points 567JT765

    That's not how it works when companies go under. The copyright doesn't disappear. They sell off their rights to pay the companies/people they owe money to.

    With that said: Unless you are a company, you already were able to do that. It's called creating doujin works (No, "doujin" doesn't mean it has to be fan fiction in the form of a short manga). You can create anything as a fan and sell it in low quantities as long as you don't do anything stupid like asking people to finance your full unlicensed anime remake or going against the copyright owners instructions that forbid specific fan creations (like a ban of depicting characters in specific situations).

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  • 1 points j-endsville

    Damn. RIP.

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    1 points Technical-Debate-330

    Nah Gainax is resting in hell for the shit they've done for being IP hogs and doing tax fraud

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  • 1 points MaleficentAd8371

    The whole Era has passed by F to Gainax

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  • 1 points ComfortableRespond77

    Anno after he gave Gainax some money:

    "Ight imma initiate third impact"

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  • 1 points eltorr007

    Noo!! Who will make Gunbuster 3 now?

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  • 1 points srkieranthe69th-cfc

    Was about to rewatch eva and watch gurren lagann for the first time 😭

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  • 1 points GUM-GUM-NUKE

    Rip rest in peace

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  • 1 points zyliosis

    It was a good run

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  • 1 points Small_Mammoth3484

    2 days go finished watching the series and EoE with my gf who never even heard of NGE prior (crazy right?)

    Talk about timing.

    I won't die until one more soul has been converted - Gainax, probably

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  • 1 points Wuss912

    good thing others have taken up the bounce for them

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  • 1 points Spideyrj

    does this mean he owns the right to the original series now ? we may finally get them on blu ray ?

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    1 points LongjumpingShip3657

    Studio Khara has owned the rights to Evangelion for like a decade now and there's already been a Blu Ray release

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  • 1 points Spodjak

    Its over.

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  • 1 points NauticalClam

    dog

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  • 1 points Ben_Tennyson-1010

    It's unfortunate to see but honestly with how Gainax was ran over the years, it was inevitable to Happen.

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  • 1 points Treemurphy

    we knew this but this is still sad to hear :(

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  • 1 points Sliver80

    It was a long time coming, but it happened.

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  • 1 points H4RUfuyu

    I was like WAIT WHAT last couple days but now I have come to accept it :(

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  • 0 points BlueKyuubi63

    Does this mean we can get reprints of the original NGE dub instead of the Netflix redub?

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    6 points Tmlboost

    No, because this situation has nothing to do with the English dubs.

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    3 points aurellia2kx

    ADV Entertainment, the original distributor for the Platinum release which contained the original dub, itself declared bankruptcy 12 years ago.

    🤷‍♀️

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  • 0 points Ryomen_Sukuna69420

    It's sad seeing a Studio like Gainax go bankrupt, I'm 100% sure it was only well known because of Evangelion, and it's turned out to be one of the greatest animes OAT, but other than that I can't name a single anime that Gainax had animated, so makes sense I guess, All I can say is though :

    "Goodbye, All of Evangelion"

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    3 points Gaybulge

    Panty & Stocking, as well as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

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    1 points Sunset_42

    Gaianax had other good shows thought Evangelion definitely was their biggest one. But also for a while now they've been a husk of their former self as most of the talent, including most of the main creators of those good shows left for other companies. And like the majority of the talent bled out to form Trigger and Anno's Khara.

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    1 points LongjumpingShip3657

    Gainax had a bunch of other well known anime

    Pre Eva

    Appleseed

    Gunbuster

    Otaku no Video

    Nadia the Secret of Blue Water

    Post Eva

    FLCL

    Re: Cutie Honey

    Diebuster

    Gurren Lagann

    Panty & Stocking

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    1 points Ryomen_Sukuna69420

    Haven't heard of any of these but GURREN LAGANN? SINCE WHEN?

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    3 points LongjumpingShip3657

    but GURREN LAGANN? SINCE WHEN?

    Since 2007 when they made it

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    1 points aurellia2kx

    lol. personally I'm missing Xardion

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    1 points Technical-Debate-330

    Nadia the Secret of Blue Water belongs to NHK, so it's completely out of Trigger's or Khara's control.

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